Inge-Vera Lipsius

I am a theatre director and writer (b. 1996, she/her) from a Dutch-American background, now based in London (with settled status in the UK). After graduating from the University of Cambridge (BA and Master's in literature, summa cum laude), I studied theatre and performance at Ecole Philippe Gaulier in France.

I directed two productions abroad in Amsterdam—both of which were sold out: www.merchanthouse.nl/quad-loop and www.merchanthouse.nl/paranoia. 'Quad Loop,' which I also wrote, was the first play about the doping scandal surrounding Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Winter Olympics and recently had its UK premiere at the Pushkin House in Bloomsbury, London. I have also completed assistant director internships with Ivo van Hove and Barrie Kosky.

Credits

Directing & Writing:

Director/Writer, "Facility 111: A government experiment," 2024 (coming up)
— New audio play on the fall of Kabul and 9/11, conceived with the International Rescue Committee (IRC).

Director/Performer, "Racine's Queens: Monologues from the plays of Jean Racine," 2024 (coming up)

Director/Writer, UK premiere of "Quad Loop: A play on the Kamila Valieva doping scandal," 1 week, Pushkin House (Bloomsbury, London), 2024
— Sold-out UK premiere of my play, a montage text combining references to press articles and sports commentary, and original writing.

Director/Adapter/Performer, Revival of "Paranoia: A play after the novella by W.F. Hermans," 1 week, The Merchant House (Amsterdam), 2023
— Sold-out revival of my adaptation of the post-war novella ‘Paranoia’ by the classic Dutch writer Willem Frederik Hermans, performed on location in a canal house in Amsterdam.

Director/Writer, "Quad Loop: A play on the Kamila Valieva doping scandal," The Merchant House, 1 week, 2023


— This play originally premiered in a sold-out run in Amsterdam in Dutch.

Director/Adapter, "Paranoia: A play after the novella by W.F. Hermans," 1 week, The Merchant House, 2022
— This play originally premiered in a sold-out run in Amsterdam in 2022.

At Cambridge:

Director/Producer, "All's Well That Ends Well," Pembroke College Gardens (Cambridge), 1 week, 2017

Director/Producer, "Julius Caesar," Pembroke New Cellars (Cambridge), 1 week, 2014

Assistant Directing:

Assistant Director Intern, “Turandot" dir. Barrie Kosky, Dutch National Opera (DNO), 4 weeks, 2022

Assistant Director Intern, “The Damned" dir. Ivo van Hove, ITA / Amsterdam Bostheater, 4 weeks, 2022

Associate Director, "Un Vent de Fronde" by Compagnie Oghma, Bibliothèque Mazarine (Paris), 1 week, 2022

At Cambridge:

Assistant Director, "Pravda" by David Hare, ADC Theatre (Cambridge), 1 week, 2015

Assistant Director, "Launch" by Marcus Martin (new writing), Corpus Playroom (Cambridge), 1 week, 2015

Skills:

— Languages: English/Dutch (native), French (professional), German/Russian (basic), studied Latin/Greek.
— Music: Reads sheet music. Studied classical piano/violin: At Sweelinck Academy / Conservatory of Amsterdam, 2011-16; at Ferwerda Academy, 2008-11, finalist of Prinses Christina Concours North, 2010.
— Writing, editing, dramaturgy. Poem "The Mask" published in The Toe Rag (Oct 2024, Frieze London ed.)

Training

Ecole Philippe Gaulier, Etampes (France), 2020-21

& Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Paris, 2021
— At Gaulier: Clown and physical theatre; presented solo pieces to high praise, including from The Oresteia, Hamlet, and Bouffon plays
— At Lecoq: “Stage l’absurde” and studies of physical theatre, mime, and acrobatics

Pembroke College, University of Cambridge (UK), 2018-19
— MPhil in Comparative Literatures, Distinction, 2019.
Specialising in French literature and theatre. Full scholarship award from the AHRC and Cambridge Trust.
— Performed as actor: Hedda Gabler in 'Hedda Gabler' (ADC Theatre), Anna Petrovna in 'Wild Honey [Platonov]' by Chekhov/Michael Frayn (ADC Theatre), Young Woman in 'Machinal' by Sophie Treadwell (Corpus Playroom), Agave in 'The Bacchae' (Edinburgh Fringe).

Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, 2014--17
— BA Hons in English literature, Starred First with Distinction, 2017.
— Graduated 2nd out of 195 students. Awarded Peter de Somogyi prize (outstanding performance) and Collins Prize (for English).
— Performed as actor: M in 'Crave' by Sarah Kane (Edinburgh Fringe), Beatrice in 'A View from the Bridge' (Pembroke New Cellars), Phaedra in 'Hippolytus' (ADC Theatre), Mercutio in 'Romeo and Juliet' (Corpus Playroom), among others.